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Some could consider creating an account with an online casino a clear example of a necessary evil. There are legitimate reasons why US online casinos need information like your address, date of birth, and name. At the same time, there are privacy concerns any time you share personal information online.
Most people looking to hit the online slots and live dealer games fly through the account registration without actually reading the terms of service that the online casinos require an agreement with in order to grant you access to their platforms. This is an instance in which a little reading actually has a lot of benefits, though.
Why US online casinos collect your information
There are three basic concerns that online casinos in the United States address by collecting some information from players. Those are age requirements, money laundering controls, and self-exclusion protocols.
Providing your information not only keeps the gambling companies in the clear on these issues but protects players as well. States have laws against players having more than one account on a single platform, for example.
Controls against money laundering, people who have compulsive gambling issues accessing gambling apps, and underage gambling are good for communities, too, including people who never play on the apps.
It would be virtually impossible for online casinos to comply with appropriate laws and conduct their business responsibly without identifying information from players. Is that all they use your account information for, though?
What online casino privacy policies around the US have to say
All the answers to that question are right in the terms of use for online casino apps and websites. Reviews of the privacy policies of four major online casino providers revealed some pretty similar terms. The review included:
The policies explain exactly what information they collect from users, both from account registration and the use of tracking “cookies” on the app/website. For example, Caesars’ policy states:
“We may use cookies and similar technologies to identify who you are and may use them when you visit the Caesars Websites, click on our ads, or open our emails.”
Other sections of the policies explain how the gambling companies might use information about you. DraftKings’ terms of use provide a good example there. In the “Co-Branded Partners” section, the text reads, “we may share your information with the Co-Branded Partner,” whom the terms define as “companies with whom we may jointly offer a service or feature.”
There are some measures users can take to limit such use of their account information and other data. However, those measures have their limits.
What online casinos in the US offer to users for privacy controls
In most states, there is absolutely nothing illegal about gambling companies like BetMGM and FanDuel sharing your information with their partners after you’ve agreed to the terms of use. The gambling companies aren’t just shopping your information to the highest bidder, though, and do offer some ways you can take action to reduce the impact of your decision to share your information with those companies.
For example, FanDuel’s privacy policy points out that users can “opt out of many third parties that support and send this type of targeting advertising” by visiting AboutAds. FanDuel also recommends using the AppChoices app on your smartphone or tablet to “control interest-based advertising on your apps.”
Similarly, BetMGM’s privacy policy lists both an email and physical address that users can use to “opt out of receiving marketing communications” and block BetMGM from sharing “your personal information for marketing purposes with our business partners.”
However, these methods have their limitations. FanDuel says that using the AppChoices app, for example, will not decrease the number of targeted ads you receive on your device, merely make it so the ads are less tailored to your browsing history and demographics based on your personal information.
The bottom line for casino apps and privacy
Within regulatory limits, these are private companies free to establish their own privacy policies. They’re also free to decide how to use the information they collect within those same parameters.
In order to use the apps or websites, you must agree to the terms they specify. Playing an online casino is not a right in the United States; if you don’t agree to the terms, the gambling companies are under no legal obligation to allow you to play.
Thus, the only way to make absolutely sure these companies will never share your account information or track your Internet activity is to never give that information to them in the first place. Barring any legal changes that ban these companies from sharing your data with their partners, if you’ve played on the apps, you’ve already given them the necessary permission they need to do exactly that.
